Animas River - CO

• 

  Tunghead Prince

• 

  Flashback Baetis Nymph

• 

  Tunghead Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail

• Bead Head Rubber-Legged Pheasant Tail

• Stimulator

• grey foam wing emerger

Heads Up Flyfishing's Recommended Gear

• Best Leader:

  

  Super Strong Plus Leaders

• Best Tippet:

  

  SuperStrong Plus Tippet in 30- and 100-meter spools

• Best Fly Fishing Rod:

  

  5-Weight 9' Fly Rod

• Best Floating Fly Line:

  WF Trout Fly Line

• Best Sinking Fly Line:

  Bank Shot Sink Tip Fly Line

Description: About Animas River

The Animas River begins its 126 mile journey high in the San Juan Mountains near Silverton, Colorado. It's full name, Rio de las Animas Perdidas, The River of Lost Souls, gives an air of mystery to this incredible fishery. The Animas begins as a small creek full of feisty brook, cutthroat, and rainbow trout. It drops down through the mountain canyons picking up tributaries and snow melt along its way until it hits the beautiful Animas Valley just north of Durango. This stretch of river is slow moving and meanders through oxbows on the valley floor. This can be a great dry fly fishery in the summer when flows are high enough to float. As it travels through town, the Animas gets a steeper gradient and becomes faster moving. From town on south the river is full of bubbly runs and fast riffles, big boulders, and deep pools typical of a freestone river. The hatches here are varied, we have everything from tiny midges to monster salmon flies. Our most consistent hatches are midges, blue winged olives, and caddis. There are some truly incredible fish in this river, with browns and rainbows well over the two foot mark caught each year. Don't forget the meat box, the Animas is a streamer junkies delight!

Nearest Airport:

Durango La Plata County

Hatches:

Mayflies, caddis, midges, stoneflies,

Best Time to Fish:

11am-3pm

Best Stretch:

Above 9th street bridge

Best Access:

High bridge